My Darling Baby:
I can’t believe it has been a month since we found out about you. Throughout the past month, we have been sharing the news with our family and friends, dreaming about you, planning for your arrival next April, considering how things will change in our house and marvelling at the changes in my body. As everyone can see, I am growing quickly.
I know that with each pregnancy, your body changes more quickly than in previous pregnancies, but this is unreal. When I was pregnant with Patrick, I started wearing maternity clothes at around six months, with Michael at about five months, and with Kathryn at three-and-a-half months; with you, I am already in maternity clothes. Just two-and-a-half months’ pregnant and already in maternity wear – and earlier this year, we gave several bags of my older, baggy clothes to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. What terrible timing.
These quick changes have led to some interesting discussions and speculations. Your dad is convinced I must be carrying twins. I feel so large, I keep saying it must be triplets and others have joked it is a small elephant. Often, you can disguise the fact that you are pregnant this early, but in my case there is no way. The other day, someone asked me how far along I was and my response was two and a half months. “Oh, you have two and a half months left,” the woman said. “No, I am two-and-a-half months along,” I responded. With wide eyes and a gaped mouth, she simply replied, “Oh.”
But size doesn’t matter. I know that my body is already so large because it is prepared for you and yet … yet you are still so small. I often feel like I don’t have enough time to stop and simply marvel over or enjoy your existence, your growing inside me.
But my belly never lets me forget you are there and a simple rub over my blossoming orb makes me feel a little bit closer to you. Do I mind growing so fast? No, not really. Changes are a part of life and definitely a part of motherhood.
In the end, does any of this matter? No. My only hope is that this rate of growth doesn’t continue, because by nine months I won’t be able to stand up without tipping over. Or so your dear father often jokes.
Continue to grow in love and peace,
Love, Mommy.
